Winged Angel
by coyote-zoe
Summary: Sometimes people aren't what they seem. Will the new girl at Hogwarts be a blessing, or a curse?
1. A New Beginning

i know the new student thing has been done over and over but i'm hoping some twists i have planned will keep you interested.  
  
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Harry woke up in the room of his best friend Ron Weasley. He had arrived at the Burrow the previous day, just in time to spend the night and then go to Diagon Alley with the Weasleys. Harry stretched and stood up slowly.   
  
Ron was still sleeping soundly and Harry shook him lightly.  
  
"Not yet Mum..." Ron mumbled through his sleep.  
  
"Ron, its me, Harry. Wake up," Harry said continuing to shake his friend. "Wake up!" Harry's continuous shaking did very little to wake Ron so he began to shake harder.   
  
A quiet knock came from the door as Harry tried to figure out how to wake Ron up. "Harry?" came Ginny's voice from the other side of the door.   
  
"Just a second," Harry said, suddenly very aware of the fact that he was only in sweats. He grabbed a shirt off the floor and slid it over his head. "Come in," he called.  
  
Ron's little sister, Ginny, opened the door slowly and looked in side. Harry smiled at her and for once she didn't go scarlet. At seeing her brother she rolled her eyes and entered the room.   
  
"He's still asleep?" she said. Ginny walked right up to the bed and pushed Ron completely off the edge. Harry stared in shock.  
  
"Hey!" Ron yelled as he hit the floor, now very awake. "What was that for Har..." he stopped as he sat up and saw his sister standing there laughing. "Ginny! Get out!"  
  
"Breakfast is ready," she said simply. She walked out of the room, not giving Harry another glance. That was odd, Ginny had been very taken with Harry since his first time at the Burrow, and was usually very bad at hiding it.  
  
Ron stood up slowly, stretching lazily. "I'm hungry," he said. Of course he was hungry, he was Ron. They got dressed quickly and headed downstairs.   
  
"Good morning boys," Mr. Weasley said, looking over his newspaper at them.  
  
"Morning," they answered together as they sat down at the table.  
  
Mrs. Weasley entered from the kitchen, carrying two plates full of food. "I thought you two would never get up," she said, placing the plates in front of them. "Now eat up. We'll be shopping all day today and then tomorrow its off to school."  
  
Ron groaned quietly while Harry was quiet happy. Summer with his aunt, uncle, and cousin weren't exactly relaxing. Both boys ate quickly, and soon the whole family (plus Harry) were flying through the Floo Network.  
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Fina Jennings stepped out into the crowded street. There were a lot more people today, probably all the last minute shoppers, people who didn't want to spend more than one night away from home before they had to leave for school. She leaned against the cold brick behind her heavily and wished that were her situation. Fina had been at the Leaky Cauldron for some time now. She reached into the old leather backpack she carried over her shoulder and pulled out a piece of paper.  
  
It was the same piece of parchment that had been delivered to her by owl post several weeks before. She had been quite surprised when she saw the Hogwarts seal on the back. After all, she went to Smantin, a top wizarding school in America. When Fina asked her father what it was about, he informed her that they would be moving to England in a few days. He had been made the new Head of the Department of International Magical Co-operation for Britain's Ministry of Magic that same day. She had been shocked and, senselessly, she had yelled at him.  
  
But she wouldn't think about that anymore. She'd had a good month and a half without him and now she had to get her new supplies. She headed towards Gringotts and tried to figure out how to convert dollars into pounds into knuts.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Harry walked into Flourish and Blotts with Ron at his side. They looked around casually, this was where they were supposed to be meeting Hermione.   
  
And then they saw her, or at least, they thought it was her. Standing not three yards in front of them was a young women resembling Hermione Granger. She was the same height and had the same hair, but there were different things as well. She was a little tanner than usual, she wasn't dressed quite like Hermione would have been, and the clothes she had on seemed to enhance the fact that, well, she had developed.   
  
Ron gawked. "That's not her," he stumbled. "Hermione's not supposed to be such a- a- girl." Suddenly, as he looked at Hermione in her knee-length skirt and the sleeveless shirt that hugged her delicate form, Harry and Ron were for some reason reminded of the Yule Ball.  
  
"You're right," came Mrs. Weasley's voice as she walked up behind them. Both boys started and turned to look at her, but she was looking at Hermione. "She's a young women."   
  
"Harry! Ron!" The boys looked away and saw Hermione waving them over to where she was standing. They walked over and she hugged them both tightly.  
  
"How've you two been? Are you both well? Oh, I feel like I haven't seen you two in AGES!" she gushed excitedly as she hugged them again.   
  
"It's good to see you too, Hermione," Harry said, laughing as all doubts that this was the same Hermione he had known since 1st year disappeared.  
  
"It's not like we haven't been writing to you all summer, Hermione. What'd you do? Get lost in book and forget to read our letters?" Ron said. Harry thought his voice sounded a bit strained.  
  
"You know very well, Ron Weasley, that I read each and every one of the letters you and Harry sent me," Hermione replied indignantly.  
  
"Speaking of our letters, Hermione," Harry said, a thought coming to him, "You didn't write nearly as many as usual."  
  
"Well, I was a little busy," Hermione said, rather nervously. Harry looked at her questioningly and she suddenly became very interested in her shoes.  
  
"Probably too busy in Bulgaria with Vicky," Ron muttered, all strangeness in his voice gone.   
  
Just as Hermione opened her mouth to reply, someone stumbled into her, knocking her books all over the floor.  
  
"Oh my God!" said the young woman as she hurriedly helped Hermione pick up her books, while balancing her own stack under one arm.  
  
"Oh, it's alright," Hermione said calmly. The girls finished gathering up the books and stood as Harry and Ron stared.  
  
"I'm Fina, Fina Jennings," The girl said, holding out her hand. Harry noticed that her American accent was painfully obvious, but soon his focus changed. She was beautiful. Not the kind off beautiful that smacked you in the face, but the kind that just sort of snuck up on you and crept over you slowly as you looked at her.  
  
"Hermione Granger," she replied, taking Fina's hand. "It's a pleasure."  
  
"Even after I tried to give you a concussion?" Fina asked, a sly yet somehow innocent smile creeping across her face. To Ron and Harry's surprise, Hermione laughed easily at the joke.  
  
"How'd she do that?" Ron whispered to Harry, amazed at this American's ability to break right through Hermione's usually serious shell. Harry just shrugged, his eyes never leaving the girl before him.  
  
There was something about her, something he couldn't quite pinpoint, that drew him in. He studied every feature carefully. Her hair was brown and strait, rather than the usual blond that came with her pale skin tone, and fell just beyond her shoulders. Her face was soft and young in expression but she held herself as a person wise beyond her years. Everything about her presence screamed of strength. Harry came to her eyes, green eyes, just slightly darker than his own, and they were the most beautiful things he'd ever seen.   
  
At that moment, Harry realized the very deep green pools he'd been studying were staring back at him, as were his two best friends. He immediately turned a bright shade of red and moved his gaze to the floor. But then, slowly, a hand entered his vision.  
  
"Fina Jennings."   
  
Harry looked up. Her voice remained unchanged and she wasn't looking at him like he was a psycho.  
  
Harry took her hand nervously. "I'm Harry Potter," Harry said. Then he flinched, he hadn't wanted to use his last name. He had grown used to people gushing over him, but somehow he didn't want this strange American girl to.  
  
"Nice to meet you," she said simply. There was no 'Oh my gosh!', no 'You're really him aren't you?', and no 'Can I see your scar?'.  
  
"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron said, nudging his way in to shake Fina's hand. Hermione rolled her eyes but Fina just smiled good-naturedly.  
  
"Nice to meet you Ron," she said.  
  
"Are those Fifth Year books?" Hermione asked. Harry looked down and realized he hadn't even noticed them.  
  
"Yeah," Fina said, looking at the stack of books under her arm, "My dad just transferred here from the American Ministry. I'll be starting Hogwarts as a Fifth Year student."  
  
"Really?" Ron said, with just enough hopefulness in his voice to warrant a   
glare from Hermione.  
  
"I didn't think Hogwarts took transfer students," Harry said thoughtfully.  
  
"Oh they don't, trust me, I found every possible reason I shouldn't go to   
Hogwarts, but they just kept saying they'd make an exception."  
  
"You mean you didn't want to go to Hogwarts?" Hermione asked, trying to hide the shock apparent in her voice.  
  
"Don't get me wrong," Fina replied quickly. "I know Hogwarts is highly   
respected all over the world, but I didn't want to leave the US and all my friends," Fina said, a certain longing in her voice.  
  
"Miss Jennings," the four teenagers looked up to see a large man wearing   
official Ministry robes, "its time to move on."   
  
"Gee, look, its my oh-so-wonderful escort." Fina turned to her companions, "Dad's really busy, so he couldn't come with me, and we don't have a house yet so I've been staying at the Leaky Cauldron. I was fine on my own, but that annoying Fudge guy insisted someone watch out for me." Fina rolled her eyes. Her 'escort' cleared his throat impatiently as Fina slid the books she'd been carrying into the cauldron her escort was carrying. "He is quite helpful with the lifting though. It was nice meeting you guys."  
  
"Bye Fina," Hermione called.  
  
"See you," Harry shouted over the growing distance. Fina looked back and waved.   
  
"Oy! Ron! There you are," called Fred, walking over to his brother, with George close behind.   
  
"Yeah come on," George said.   
  
"Come on where?" Ron asked suspiciously.  
  
Fred and George looked at each other. "Uh," Fred began, "Mum gave us some money to go buy new dress robes."   
  
George winked at Harry.   
  
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PLEASE review. I know that wasn't much but if you're interested in more let me know and I'll give it to you!  
-coyote 


	2. King's Cross

sorry this took so long. thanks to the two who reviewed! this'll be short, and won't have much of a point but i wanted to get it up.  
  
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Harry followed his friends as they walked towards a store called Deirdra's Dress Robes. Ginny was standing in front, waiting impatiently for her brothers. As soon as she saw them, she went strait for Hermione.  
  
"Hermione!" squealed Ginny, throwing her arms around the older yet slightly shorter girl. "You look just wonderful!"  
  
"You too," Hermione replied, blushing a little.  
  
"Are you buying new dress robes this year?" Ginny asked excitedly. Hermione nodded and Ginny squealed again. Before any of the boys could blink, Ginny had grabbed Hermione by the wrist and dragged her into the shop. The boys followed.  
  
The shop was seperated in to two sections, boy's robes on the left, girl's robes on the right. Ginny and Hermione disappeared almost instantly into the crowds of other girls on the right, while Harry and Ron reluctantly followed Fred and George to the left.   
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An hour later Harry and Ron were sitting infront of the shop, waiting on the girls. Fred and George had left immediatly after the new robes had been bought.  
  
"What's taking those two so bloody long?" Ron muttered in impatience.  
  
Harry just shrugged. Even though one of his best friends for the past 4 years was a girl, he had to admit that he didn't know all too much about them.  
  
"Never mind, I know what's taking so long. They're girls, they probably had to try on every single thing in the shop," Ron huffed, falling back against the bench heavily.  
  
"For your information, Ronald," Ginny started, standing unexpectedly over them, "we did NOT try on everything in the shop. We simply took our time picking out the RIGHT robes."  
  
"Plus, we ran into someone," Hermione said, looking over her shoulder at the figure following her out the door. Harry knew who the girl standing behind his friend was before she even looked up from her bagsto face them.  
  
"Hey," Fina said, smiling brightly.   
  
"Your new friend Fina here needed, a, uh, second opinion," Ginny said, smiling.  
  
"Please, I was lucky you two showed up. I'm totally clueless when it comes to these things."  
  
"You weren't doing that bad," Hermione said, reassuringly.  
  
"Sure I wasn't," Fina replied sarcasticly. "Anyway, thanks, both of you. I better be getting back," Fina stopped and looked over her shoulder. "I left my bodygaurd," she said, empasizing the last word over-dramaticly, "about half an hour ago. It was nice meeting you Ginny, and it was good to see you all again."  
  
"You too Fina," Hermione replied. "Look for us tommorow on the train."  
  
"I will," she replied happily as she started to walk away. "Thanks again!" she called before disappearing behind a crowd of fourth-year Ravenclaws.  
  
Harry stared after her, letting his mind pretend it could still see her. She's ammazing, Harry thought to himself. She wasn't like any girl Harry had ever seen in real life. She was beautiful, but she acted as if she niether noticed nor cared.  
  
"Harry?" Hermione said, waving her hand infront of his face. He looked up, startled out of his reverie.  
  
"You ready to go, mate?" Ron asked, standing up.  
  
"Yeah," Harry breathed. He suddenly noticed that it seemed to be getting dark and a bit chilly, Hermione was shivering.  
  
Harry elbowed Ron. "Oy, what was that fo..." Harry tossed his head toward Hermione while giving a lite tug at Ron's jacket. "Oh," he muttered under his breath. He shrugged off his jacket and thrust it informaly towards Hermione, who was rubbing her arms, trying to get warm.  
  
"Oh," she said, a bit shocked. Her cheeks turned a bit rosy as she took the jacket, and Harry did not think it was from the cold. "Thank you," she said sincerly as she put the jacket on. Ron muttered something vaguely resembling 'you're welcome' before shoving his hands in his pockets and turning towards the Leaky Cauldron. Harry exchanged a look with Ginny as he and the girls followed.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The next morning, Fina stood in the middle of the crowded train station, frustrated and now quite lost.  
  
"I hate this stupid fucking country," she muttered under her breath. She looked around, trying to find someone or something familiar. She had a feeling that Platform 9 and 3/4 was not something she could ask just anybody directions to.  
  
And then something caught her eye. A head of sleek blond hair was moving forward in the crowd ahead of her. She instantly followed, pulling the heavy cart behind her. She pushed through person after person, trying to catch the familiar young man several yards away.  
  
"Fina!"   
  
Fina whipped around, startled. Hermione Granger was racing up to her, out of breath. "I've been looking all over for you! We thought maybe you'd gotten lost.  
  
Fina smiled, "Of course, leave it to me to be totally confused by a country that doesn't even speak a different language." Hermione laughed but Fina's eyes had turned back to the crowd. He was gone.  
  
"You seemed to have sorted it out though. You were going in the right direction," Hermione said. "Here, let me take your these," she said, taking Fina's jacket and the small bag she'd had over her shoulder, "while you push your cart."  
  
"Thanks," she replied, following Hermione and brushing off thoughts of the young man she'd been chasing after. "Are Harry and Ron already there?"  
  
"Oh yes," Hermione replied casually. "They sent me to look for you while they loaded the trunks on board. I just hope they didn't throw mine around the way they do theirs."  
  
"I'm sure Ron took good care of your things."  
  
Hermione stopped suddenly and gave the grinning Fina a shocked look.  
  
"What are you..."  
  
"Oh give it up, Hermione. Contrary to popular belief, being American does not make me stupid," Fina cut her off, continuing toward the large 9 she could now see. Hermione turned a very bright shade of crimson as she followed Fina's confident strides.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	3. Look who we have here

Fina and Hermione moved swiftly toward the train. The platform was clearing quickly as students hurried secure a compartment. Fina could see a short red-headed woman hovering around Harry and Ron.  
  
"Now Ron, make sure that you do everything in your power to look out for Harry," she stated sternly. "And Harry, dear, do be very careful."   
  
"That's Ron's mum," Hermione whispered to Fina as they watched the now teary-eyed woman embrace both boys tightly. Fina laughed to herself. Mrs. Weasley released the suffocating boys and turned to notice Hermione.  
  
"Oh Hermione, there you are dear, and you must be Fina, my husband is looking forward to working with your father," she said smiling sweetly.  
Fina's eyes flashed briefly with a strange look that only Harry seemed to notice. "Boys, get Fina's trunk onto the train," she commanded. "Quickly now."  
  
The boys set to work with Fina's trunk and the covered cage on top of it. Mrs. Weasley moved closer to Hermione, "Make sure they don't get into too much trouble dear." She wrapped her arms around the young woman. "By the way," she whispered into Hermione's ear, "you look wonderful." Hermione blushed happily as Mrs. Weasley released her.   
  
"Come on," Ginny called, peeking her head out of the train. Everyone waved goodbye and made there way onto the train with the last few reluctant first years.   
  
When they had all reached the compartment secured for them by Ginny, everyone started to get settled. Harry and Ron sat on one side while Hermione, Ginny, and Fina sat on the other. There was silence for only several seconds before a strange screeching noise came from Fina's cage, and it DEFINITLY was not an owl.   
  
"What was that?" Ron asked, sounding a bit nervous.  
  
"It's just Medea," Fina replied simply, as if that should explain it all.  
  
"Is it an owl?" Ginny asked, confused.  
  
"No," Fina said. She continued to sit until she realized that 4 pairs of eyes remained focused on her. She sighed and stood, moving over to the cage. She pulled the cover off quickly.  
  
"Is that..."  
  
"An eagle," Hermione finished for Harry.  
  
"A golden eagle to be exact," Fina said, pride in her eyes. "Isn't she beautiful?" Fina lowered her face next to the cage and stuck a finger in, letting the beautiful creature rub its neck against it.  
  
"What did you say her name was?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Medea. Its the name of a character in a Greek play," Fina said.  
  
"It's pretty," Ginny said. This seemed to strike Fina as humorous. "What?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Read the play sometime," Fina replied. She walked back over to her seat and took off her jacket, revealing her short-sleeved, black top, which looked like someone had ripped at the sleeves and bottom hem. This went quite well with her jeans, also torn at the bottom hems. She settled uncomfortably into her seat.  
  
They all sat in silence, occupied by their own thoughts. Ginny was looking absently out the window as she stroked Crookshanks, who had settled on her lap. Hermione was buried in Standard Book Of Spells: Grade 5, as was to be expected. Harry sat quietly, his face turned slightly to the window, though he made sure he kept Fina in his view. He examined her for probably the hundredth time since he'd met her, there was something that just drew his eyes to her.   
  
Harry knew Fina was special, the fact practically radiated from her. If only he could even begin to understand why. It was almost scary, how much he wanted to know her, know everything there was to know about her. He decided that this staring couldn't be healthy. He glanced over at Ron, who seemed to be quite content openly staring across the compartment, being conveniently blocked from his subject's view by her favorite inanimate object.  
  
Just then, the compartment door slid open, drawing everyone's attention.   
  
"Well, if it isn't Hogwarts' favorite trio," came the drawling voice of the blonde standing in the doorway. Ron was about to tell Malfoy to get out, but stopped as Fina stood and stepped past him.  
  
"Look who we have here," she said, matching him drawl for drawl. Harry watched as a look of pure shock flashed across Malfoy's face. Soon though, it disappeared, and the smug look returned.  
  
"What are you doing here?" he countered, and Harry almost thought he saw a smile tugging at Malfoy's lips. He had gotten quite a bit taller, and his hair was now spiked, instead of the usual slicked back look.  
  
"I'm playing Quidditch," she replied sarcastically. "What does it look like? I'm going to school. You're a quick one, aren't you?" Everyone else in the compartment, including Crabbe and Goyle, who'd followed Malfoy in, were watching in confusion.  
  
"I didn't think they would allow your kind in Hogwarts," Malfoy shot back. Harry and Ron stood quickly at this, but Hermione held her arm out to stop them. There was something strange going on here, and Hermione wanted to see it through.  
  
"Then I suppose they'd have to send you home as well," Fina said coolly as she placed her hands on her hips. There was silence for a tense moment as they waited for Malfoy's reaction.  
  
And then something truly bizarre happened. Draco Malfoy laughed. And smiled. Genuinely. It wasn't a smirk or a sneer, it was a true honest smile. "You win."  
  
Fina broke into a wide smile of triumph and laughed before throwing her arms around the neck of the Slytherin in front of her. "Good to see you, Draco." 


	4. What the bloody hell?

hey, sorry there haven't been any author's notes. thanks for the reviews   
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"What the bloody hell..."Ron muttered in disbelief.   
  
Fina pulled back just enough to look up at Draco's face. "Since when do you go to Hogwarts?" he asked, still grinning. To the others in the compartment, he barely even sounded like Draco Malfoy.  
  
"Not important," Fina said, waving him off. "Since when did you turn into punk boy?" she said, running her hand over the tips   
of his spiked hair. He laughed slightly.  
  
Then, all of the sudden, he remembered the six other people in the room. Malfoy pulled away abruptly, startling Fina.  
  
"Uh..." he started, the drawl easing its way back into his voice, "...come on. We've got a compartment just this way." He   
wrapped his hand around Fina's arm and started to pull her towards the compartment door.  
  
She stopped him, laughing a bit uneasily. "And I've got a compartment right here." She looked him in the eye, "Stay."  
  
Hermione laughed suddenly, an action that seemed to force the awkwardness filling the small area out into the open. "And   
be associated with us? Never," she said sarcastically, raising an eybrow.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Fina asked, taking a turn at being the one confused.  
  
"Why don't you tell her, 'Draco', if you're all such good friends," Ron commented loathingly. Harry continued to stand there, utterly shocked at what was going on around him.  
  
"Stay out of this, Weasley," Malfoy spat back. "Why don't you and your little sister search the seat cushions for loose change?" He had to admit that he was suddenly struggling for material.  
  
"What was that supposed to mean?" Fina said, nearly indignantly. "What's the matter with you, Draco?"  
  
"Come on," he said, once again pulling her toward the door. "Let's go to my compartment. You should have talked to me first, I could have kept you away from certain people."  
  
Fina pulled her arm from his grasp. "I asked what the hell was wrong with you."  
  
"Problem here, dearies?" came a soft voice from the hall. It was the lady with the food trolley.  
  
"No," Malfoy said shortly. And with that he walked out, his thugs following close behind. Fina stared after him for a moment before flopping into a seat, a confused look on her face.  
  
Harry finally broke from his state of shock and moved toward the door. He purchased the usual bulk of sweets and sat   
down. Ron followed suit.  
  
"What was that all about?" Fina said, more to herself than anyone else.  
  
"How do you know Malfoy?"  
  
Fina looked up suddenly, drawn from her thoughts by Harry's inquiry. "Oh," she said, rubbing her forehead, "we've known   
each other for a long time. We practically grew up together before he started Hogwarts."   
  
"Are you sure it wasn't some other Malfoy?" Harry asked, still bewildered by the whole incident.  
  
"No. Of course not. Now will someone tell me what is going on?"   
  
"Malfoy's a bloody prat is what's going on," Ron replied angrily, shoving a chocolate frog into his mouth.  
  
"Maybe we should start from the beginning," Hermione said calmly.  
  
Fina sat quietly in a state of shock as her four new friends told her all about the Malfoy they knew. She seemed almost   
comatose through most of the stories until...  
  
"And then he's always bragging about his stupid father," Ron growled. "'My father could blah blah blah' My father wouldn't   
allow blah blah blah' My father says...' 'My father told me...'"  
  
"He what?" Fina practically yelled. Ron seemed to have struck a nerve. "His father? Lucius Malfoy? He ACTUALLY brags   
about being the son of Lucius Malfoy? I can't believe this!" By now Fina was raging as she paced across the compartment.  
  
"So he was nothing like this all the time you knew him?" Ginny asked gently.  
  
"I... I just don't..." she sighed in exasperation. "I don't want to talk about this anymore," she said, sitting back down. "Aren't   
we almost there?"  
  
"Actually, it is time we changed into our robes," Hermione said, standing.   
  
"You all go right on ahead," Fina said. "They only make house specific robes for Fifth Years."  
  
Ten minutes later they were all changed and the train was pulling into the station. Fina followed everyone off the train. She   
looked everything over, taking in the sights around her. It was dark and crowded. She knew she'd have to stop dwelling on Draco if she wanted to enjoy this night at all.  
  
"Who's that?" she asked, motioning towards a stern looking woman in a pointed hat who was calling all the first years over   
to her.  
  
"Professor McGonagall, she's the Deputy Head Mistress," Hermione said, sounding confused. "I wonder where Hagrid is."  
  
"Quickly everyone," the professor called, motioning the students towards a long line of horseless carriages.   
  
"Ginny!" Fina turned her head to see a round faced boy waving Ginny over to a carriage.  
  
"I'll see you guys later," Ginny said, heading over to the boy. "I told Neville and Colin I'd ride to school with them."   
  
Everyone nodded and waved at Ginny and the other two boys. They watched as Neville offered his hand to help her up,   
in what Fina thought was a very affectionate way. She looked over at Ron, who seemed to be scowling. Fina laughed to herself, obviously Ron was the typical big brother, and he seemed to see this very unintimidating looking boy as a threat.  
  
"There's an empty one," Hermione said, walking towards a near by, unoccupied carriage. Hermione began to get in. She   
placed her left foot into the carriage and began to pull her self up when she slipped suddenly. She let out a small screech of   
fear and surprise, but before she could fall too far, a pair of long freckled arms caught her around the waist.  
  
Hermione looked up, surprised, into the face of a certain red headed boy. Ron stood there, shocked by his own action. They   
stayed there like that, suspended (literally, for one of them) in the strained silence.  
  
"Excuse me." All four teenagers were startled by the sudden presence of Professor McGonagall. Ron released Hermione   
quickly, causing her to hit the ground with a muffled 'thud'. Hermione looked caught somewhere between crossed and embarassed as she stood up and brushed herself off.  
  
"Mr. Weasley, Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger," she said curtly. "I trust you each had a safe holiday." They all nodded awkwardlyRon aand Hermione slightly red-faced.   
  
McGonagall turned to Fina. "Miss Jennings, I presume?" Fina nodded. "I need you to come this way and join the first years.   
I believe that the sorting process has been explained to you?" Fina nodded again.  
  
"See you later, guys," Fina said.  
  
"Ms. Granger, I presume you will make it safely into your carriage?" McGonagall said, raising an eyebrow at the young girl.   
Hermione blushed fervently and steadily pulled herself into the carriage, this time without incident. Ron and Harry followed, Ron redder than ever and Harry stifling laughter.  
  
Fina waved goodbye as she headed for the large group of first years. 


	5. Faces Old and New

Harry, Ron, and Hermione settled into their places at the Gryffindor table. Harry looked around him.  
  
He looked up at the staff table and saw two empty chairs. These, obviously, belonged to Hagrid and McGonagall. Then Harry looked over to the spot where he had looked four times before to see his new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. And there, talking cheerily with Dumbledore, was Remus Lupin.  
  
"Look!" Harry said, getting the attention of his two best friends.   
  
"It's Lupin!" Ron exclaimed happily. "Dumbledore brought him back!"  
  
"It's not really much of a surprise. I'm sure Dumbledore feels that we'll all be a lot safer with him here at a time like this," Hermione said calmly. But as Harry looked at her, her gaze shifted and her eyes grew wide.   
  
"What is Hermione?" Harry asked.  
  
"Look," she nearly whispered. "Under the table."  
  
Harry and Ron both followed her gaze and saw, at Lupin's feet, a very large, very familiar black dog.  
  
"I don't believe it," Harry said, a grin spreading across his face.  
  
"Blimey," Ron said, starting to chuckle. "He's looking at us." All three realized that the dog was, in fact, looking at them, and, in the best way a dog could, smiling at them.   
  
Harry's view was suddenly blocked by a group of passing students. He could see Cho Chang among them. He was happy to see that she was laughing. She looked in his direction and gave him a small smile, which he returned gratefully. And then Harry realized that Cho wasn't the only one looking at him. All over the Great Hall whispers and quick glances were being thrown   
  
his way. He nearly grimaced.  
  
In fact, the Great Hall was full of whispers and sideways looks. After the events of the previous year, everyone was confused, and scared. And then there was the added news of Lupin, and his new pet. Harry could also hear bits and pieces of a reoccurring topic. It seemed there might be a new girl at Hogwarts.  
  
Harry was drawn from his thoughts as the doors to the Great Hall opened and  
  
McGonagall led in the first years. And there, at the back of the group, looking out of place with her muggle clothes and confident stride, was Fina. There was a buzz of whispers when she entered the room, and they continued throughout the Sorting Hat's annoyingly long song.  
  
At last the song ended, and everyone applauded. McGonagall began unrolling a long roll of parchment. "I will call each of your names and you will sit on the stool and put on the hat. I trust the houses will accept  
  
their new members happily. Also, one house, will be receiving a new fifth year student."   
  
With that she began calling the first years up, one by one, to be sorted. Houses cheered as they received their new housemates, but very few eyes left Fina for more than several seconds at a time.   
  
"Cantman, Jean!"  
  
"Slytherin!"  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione waited nervously for Fina's name to be called. Harry glanced across the hall and noticed a certain Slytherin who seemed to be observing her in a similar nervous manner.  
  
"I heard she's French, transferred here from Beauxbatons," Lavender Brown whispered to her best friend, Parvati Patil.  
  
"Jacobs, Micheal!"  
  
"Ravenclaw!"  
  
"Kippling, Sarah!"  
  
Harry didn't hear the Sorting Hat's decision as he wondered why Fina had not been called with the other J's.   
  
When the last first year ("White, Eric!") had been sorted ("Hufflepuff!"), the hall went deathly quiet, listening as McGonagall called the name all had been waiting to hear. "Jennings, Serafina!"  
  
The whispers began again instantly as Fina walked towards the stool. It suddenly hit Harry, Fina was being sorted. From the moment she had introduced herself, Harry just sort of assumed that she would be in  
  
Gryffindor. But what if she wasn't? Harry frantically looked towards Ron and Hermione, who were also watching Fina, and noticed that they must have been having the same thoughts about their new friend.   
  
"She's not," Seamus Finnigan said. "Ginny Weasley met her already. She's American."  
  
Dean Thomas's eyes lit up. "American? Really? You know what they say about American girls..." He faded off with a sly grin at Seamus, who laughed heartily. Lavender gave him a sharp look, but before she could say anything someone shushed them. Fina was putting on the hat.  
  
The entire hall drew in a breath and leaned forward as if with one mind. The Hat was quiet for a long time and Fina's eyes were closed for the duration. Finally, when the tear in the Hat opened to sort the young woman, it paused.   
  
"Gryffindor!"  
  
The entire hall released a breath as the Gryffindor table cheered. Fina sat the Hat down on the stool and walked happily over to the small space next to Harry where people slid down to make room for her. He looked over a bit smuggly at Malfoy who, to Harry's surprise, wasn't looking daggers at him, but staring, with clear disappointment, at Fina. Harry looked to Fina. The brunette had her face in her hands, elbows resting on the table, as she looked back at Malfoy with a meaningful yet unreadable expression for only a moment before turning her eyes away.  
  
"Hi Sirifanna, was it?" Lavender asked, trying to remember the odd name as she leaned over the table, holding out her hand. Harry had been so caught up in worry over Fina's sorting results that he had barely registered that Fina was not the name called.  
  
Fina looked at her empty golden plate a bit annoyed before taking Lavender's hand and correcting her. "It's pronounced Sarah-f-E-na, but Fina will do."  
  
Lavender turned a bit pink in the cheeks. "Sorry. Well, its nice to have you." She slid back into her seat and Seamus mouthed the words 'See. American.' to her in a rather obvious way.  
  
"Yes, I'm an American," Fina said, making Seamus duck a bit in his chair. Dumbledore rose from his chair and everyone looked up. "Tuck in!"  
  
Suddenly, an amazing array of foods appeared on the table before them, and everyone began filling their plates. "Very cool," Fina stated casually as she stabbed a steak with her fork and moved it to her plate. "What's in the pitchers?"  
  
"Water and pumpkin juice," Hermione said, helping herself to some chicken.  
  
"What kinda juice?" Fina asked, her eyebrows knitting together.  
  
"Pumpkin."  
  
"I'll take the water, thanks," Fina said, looking a bit disgusted.   
  
Everyone continued eating and chatting about their summers. Lavender and Seamus were officially an item now, as were Alicia Spinnet and Lee Jordan. Parvati had spent the entire summer at some sort of Divination camp. And apparently Neville had grown several award winning plants. There was also a rather long conversation that had begun as naming off the teachers to Fina, but developed into a free-for-all forum in which everyone voiced their  
  
opinions of each teacher.  
  
Once the plates had been cleared and everyone was chattering happily with in their inner circles, Dumbledore rose to his   
  
feet, silencing everyone.  
  
"Well, now that everyone is well fed, I'd like to ask for your attention. As you all  
  
remember," he said, his face becoming more serious, "there were many disconcerting events at the end of last year. I am sure that you all have questions and concerns. I know that many of your parents have not chosen to be behind me in this matter, several parents have even decided to remove their children from Hogwarts. I, however, remain convinced that there is no point lying to you. This year is going to be hard, and quite possibly very frightening. There are several new restrictions to be announced also. As always, the forest grounds are off limits for any and all purposes. Also, the town of Hogsmeade is off limits, to everyone."   
  
There was a rise of whispers in the hall. In past years Hogsmeade was only off limits to first and second years. Everyone else was entitled to the scheduled weekend visits.  
  
"I know this may be upsetting to many of you, but we feel that it is in your best interest. Curfew has been raised by one hour for all students. No one is to leave the castle without permission from a staff member. Each dorm room will now have it's own password. I would also like to welcome back Professor Lupin, who's return I'm sure is appreciated by all students. And lastly, I want you all to remember that no matter what, you are safe here," he finished, surveying the group of young people in front of him.  
  
Harry could see the proud sparkle in his eye. Harry was sure that Dumbledore had no doubt that Hogwarts would protect them in the coming year. Harry, however, looked at the faces around him, the people that meant the most to him, and did everything for him, and he wondered quietly if he would be able to protect them. 


End file.
